S. Sudan government accuses rebels over peace deal

KAMPALA. The South Sudan government has accused Dr Riek Machar and his group of intentionally failing the peace negotiations.

This comes days after Inter Government Agency for Development indefinitely suspended peace talks in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia after the rebels raised concerns specifically in regard to presence of civil society organisations. Addressing journalists at the embassy in Kampala, South Sudan Ambassador to Uganda, Samuel Luate accused the rebels of pulling out of the peace negotiations with an intention to reorganise and wage war.

He further noted that while the south Sudan government is still open to negotiations, it will not hesitate fighting back if the rebels do not stop attacking government positions.

Mid this month, South Sudan's warring forces yet again boycotted a new round of peace talks in protest at being accused of seeking a military solution to the conflict, mediators said.

The latest blow to peace efforts came after several months of talks that have already been hit by delays and boycotts over other seemingly trivial issues, such as the venue of the talks themselves.

The delay comes as the civil war in South Sudan passed the six-month mark, having already left thousands of people dead; more than a million displaced and pushed the world's youngest country to the brink of famine and genocide.